Experts have already shown that distracted driving is a major issue in New York, as in every other state, but the issue only gets worse in the summer. This may be because there are more people on the roads who are going on road trips and vacations. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that there are 20 percent more miles traveled and 29 percent more road deaths in June, July and August than in the winter months of December, January and February.

TrueMotion recently analyzed sensor data from its mobile app, TrueMotion Family, and found that drivers spend more time looking at their smartphones and less time looking at the road during the same months of June, July and August. The data covered 8.4 million trips made by over 20,000 drivers between January 2017 and May 2018. They were distracted for an average of 15 minutes out of every hour they drove.

The Travelers Companies, Inc., along with its public policy division, the Travelers Institute, launched its Every Second Matters™ event as a way to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving. On June 13, it hosted this event on Capitol Hill and brought up the data made available by TrueMotion. Travelers encourages people to see distracted driving as being just as unacceptable as driving drunk or without a seatbelt.

Until that happens, drivers will continue to be distracted by their smartphones and other technology, raising their risk for auto accidents. Innocent victims have the right to file for compensation after such an accident, but they may benefit from consulting with an attorney. A lawyer might have experts obtain a copy of the police report in addition to cell phone records and other potential proof. He or she may then negotiate for a settlement covering medical expenses, vehicle damage and so on.